Spotting board



May 19, 1970- Filed Maron s; 1968 N. A. BUCKLEY ET AL SPOTTING BOARD 3 Sheets-Sheet l Wowfzczw Q 2627@ @Kef a@ Qasf/zzfasez May 19, 1970 N. A. BUCKLE-:Y ET AL SPOTTING BOARD s sheets-sheet 2 Filed March 5, 1968 May 19, 1970 SPOTTING BOARD 3 Sheets-Sheet `3 Filed March 5, 1968 w 0 r 2 R m ww w 02 w 5 m 2/ 8 m i y M 2 5 4 IIIFD- 2 c@ 6W l@ w 4 4/ 2 l v, .A A f ,WH Wm a M/ 9 2 E a, M w M V JIA' d ZOO @MD5/usar' w Jawwmm M.

United Statesy Patent 3,512,379 SPOTTING BOARD Norman A. Buckley Wauwatosa, and Peter D. Rasmussen, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to McGraw-Edison Company, Elgin, lll., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 710,497 Int Cl. D06f 29/00 U.S. Cl. 68-240 18 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a spotting board unit suitable for selectively removing spots from a garment, and more particularly, to an improved construction of the spotting board to permit easy servicing, maintenance, etc., of the board; to an improved valve construction for switching vacuum between the body board and the sleever board; and to an improved mounting for holding the spotting gun, and an improved method of Control for the spotting gun.

Spotting units are used commonly in the cleaning industry to remove stains or spots from a fabric. The spotting unit includes a stationary body board sized to t within the leg of a pair of pants and a smaller sleever board sized to t within the sleeve of a coat or shirt, each board having a perforated nose piece that can be selectively connected to a source of vacuum, and a portable spotting gun connected to sources of steam and air. To remove a spot on a garment, the garment is positioned on the appropriate body or sleeve board so that the spotted area is located over the nose piece, and steam and/or air from the spotting gun and any solvent can be applied directly to the spot. This moistens, conditions and drys the garment only at the spotted area and commonly is suicient to remove the spot. Preferably, the sleever board can be moved from an operative position convenient to the operator to an inoperative position clear of the body board, and a valve actuated by movement of the sleever board directs vacuum to the particular body or sleever board in use.

One object of this invention is to provide a spotting board unit having a control valve located relative to the body and sleever boards operable for applying vacuum to either, depending initially on the location of the sleever board but also independently of vthe location of the sleever board to the extent that the sleever board can be completely removed from the unit.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spotting board unit having a construction that permits the easy and complete removal of the sleever board from the unit while still permitting vacuum operation in the body board.

Another object of this invention is to provide body and sleever boards having components which repeatedly can be easily disassembled for cleaning and servicing and reassembled without undue personal aggravation or component Wear.

Another object of this invention is to provide a holder and blow-down or blow-by condensate collecting system that supports a portable spotting gun used in spotting and permits the clearing and collection of liquid condensate from the gun while the gun is on the holder and prior to actual use of the gun.

Another object of this invention is to provide a control including solenoid operated valves for regulating steam, water, air or vacuum application through the spotting gun or board nose pieces and foot pedals having electric switch means therein for actuating the valves.

Another object of this invention is to provide spotting boardl constructions including a typically stainless steel frame supporting a perforated nose piece and an imperforate tamping section, the nose piece being of unitary construction including a nely perforated top surface and an underlying perforated support plate and the tamping piece typically being of laminated fibre and plastics such as melamine and phenol formaldehyde.

These and other objects will be more fully appreciated after referring to the following specication, including the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the subject spotting board unit;

FIGS. 2, 2a and 2b are sectional views of the body board and valve construction, as taken generally from line 2-2 and Ztl-2a of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional View as seen generally from line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partially exploded, showing the main components of the board and control valve of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the sleever board mounting and valve actuating linkage;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the mounting and linkage of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view, as seen generally from line 7-7 of FIG. 4 showing a particular nose piece construction;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view, as seen generally from line 8 8 in FIG. l, showing the blow-by construction;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the control for the air, steam, water and vacuum operation of the unit.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a spotting board unit 10 is shown and includes a pedestal or frame 12 which supports a main body board 14 and smaller sleever board 16, the body board and the sleever board being disposed in vertically spaced arrangement. A garment deector 18 is supported by the pedestal 12 in underlying relationship to the body board 14 and thus serves to hold part of the garment during the spotting operation. A spotting gun 20 is connected by ilexible hose 22 to the unit and is re movably supported on holder 24 in turn mounted on the pedestal 12. Each board includes a perforated nose piece and an imperforate tamping piece, with nose piece 26 and tamping piece 28 being for the body board 14 and nose piece 30 and tamping piece 32 being for the sleever board 16. In addition, a tray 34 having handle openings 35 is supported by the body board 14 and is used to hold at a convenient location any solvents, brushes or other equipment commonly needed for the spotting operation. A source of vacuum is selectively directed through conduit 38 to the respective nose pieces 26 and 30 of the spotting boards, and sources of air and steam are connected to the spotting gun 20; and foot pedals 38, 40 and 42 are used to control the discharge of each when desired.

To use the spotting unit, the operator drapes the spotted garment over the suitable board so that the spot is over the nose piece. By actuation of the foot pedals 38, 40 and 42, vacuum can be drawn through the nose piece and steam and/ or air can be discharged from the spotting gun 20 and directing toward the spot on the garment. The particular solvent or cleaningagent can also be added, where 3 desired. The steam moistens and conditions the fabric and flushes the dirt away, and the air dries the garment.

Referring now more to the specific details of construction of the body board 14, note in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 that the body board includes an open top tray or frame 46 having bottom wall 47 and a peripheral side wall 48. The frame 46 is in turn mounted on plate 50 which is rigidly secured to a post 51, the post being received within an opening in the top of the pedestal 12 and adjustably held fast therein by means of bracket 52 mounted on the rear wall 53 of the pedestal. Once the height of the body board is determined and xed by the operator, it would not ordinarily be moved during the normal spotting operation. The frame further has transverse walls 56 and 57 which divide the frame generally into three sections. The nose piece 26 ts within the section defined by transverse wall S6 and the forward portion of the side wall 48, the tamping pieces 28 ts within the section defined by the two transverse walls 56 and 57 and middle portion of the side Wall, and the tray 34 fits within the section defined by the transverse wall 57 and the rearward portion of the side wall 48. Interior walls 61 between the transverse walls 56 and 57 define a passageway 64 which communicates at one end with opening 65 in the bottom wall 47 and at the other end with opening 67 underlying and communicating with the nose piece 26.

The sleever board 16 is mounted rotatably within a housing 70 secured by bolts 71 to the top mounting plate 50, the housing having vertically aligned opening 72 receiving a tubular conduit 74 secured to the bottom wall 77 of the sleever board frame 76. The conduit 74 communicates with a passageway 78 defined within the frame by interior walls 79, the walls extending between the side wall 80. The passageway 78 opens in communicating underlying relationship with the nose piece 30, much in the same manner as regards the body board construction.

The nose piece 26, tamping piece 28 and the tray 34 it within the body board 14, and the nose piece 30 and tamping piece 32 fit within the sleever board 16 in adjacent snug relationship to one another and provide thereby a smooth but rm working surface upon which the garment can be dressed. These components must also be readily assembled and disassembled relative to the frame, since -dirt and line commonly block the passageways which must be cleaned frequently in order to assure reliable operation of the unit. In this regard, the side walls 48 and 80 of the respective boards converge in an endward direction towards the nose piece and the nose piece and tamping piece likewise taper at a similar angle so that they can be inserted and removed from the boards with a movement in the direction of the walls.

One important concept of this invention is an improved nose piece construction which is quite similar for both the body and sleever boards. Nose piece 26 is disclosed in detail in FIG. 7, and includes a finely perforated outer working surface and an underlying perforated plate which are secured together as a single unit. The outer finely perforated' surface is formed by a finely meshed Monel sceen or wire element 82 and the underlying perforated plate 83 is of stainless steel. The plate has a dat section 84 and peripheral side walls 85, 86 and 87, and a locking ange 88 projects rearwardly from the rear side wall 87 in a direction parallel to top surface 84. The free ends 89 of the wire element 82 extend beyond and are wrapped about the ends of the plate side wall and terminate within the cavity between the side walls. This eliminates any exposed edge yof the Wire element which could be frayed during the frequent assembly and disassembly of the nose piece relative to the frame, and consequently the unitary nose piece minimizes physical damage and eases personal aggravation.

The tamping piece also is of an improved construction and is fabricated of a laminate of wood fibers and thermosetting plastic resins, such as melamine and phenol formaldehyde. The fibers are impregnated with the melamine resin and are laminated on high strength kraft paper impregnated with a phenol formaldehyde resin, and iinely divided wood filler core is used to accommodate the required board thickness. The surface is of durable cellulose fiber impregnated with melamine, and all exposed edges of the board are coated with urethane to seal the itnerior. This board construction is known under the trade name Fiberesin, and has such properties as being durable and hard, and being stain resistant. A typical board laminate can be seen in FIG. 3.

As was mentioned previously, the nose piece and tamping piece are closely confined by the side `walls within the frame. Because of the rather limited size of the sleever board, it has been found adequate to have gravity alone hold the respective nose and tamping pieces in place. The tamping piece can be removed from the sleever frame initially by inserting an elongated tool through opening 90 in the rear side wall 91 of the unit and by canting the tool to elevate the tamping piece to permit adequate grasping thereof. Once the tamping piece is removed the nose piece can be removed by withdrawing it in the direction of the Walls.

The body board provides locking means for holding the various components in place, because such board is larger and is generally subjected to more physical abuse than is the sleever board. To trap the nose piece 26, the side wall of the frame at its forward end 93 is sloped upwardly from the bottom wall 47 at an acute angle, and the forward wall 86 of the nose piece slopes in an opposite manner so that the two walls meet flush against one another. The locking ange 88 is adapted when in position in the frame to overlap a rearwardly directed locking flange 94 or top wall which projects from the transverse Wall 56. The forward end of the tamping piece fits on top of the locking flange 88, and clips 95 on the tamping piece are adapted to be biased under top wall 92 upon a forward movement of the tamping piece relative to the frame. The rear end of the tamping piece is supported on top Wall 97 which extends from the transverse wall 57. The tray 34 has spaced locking flanges 98 which straddle the tamping piece and the wall 97 and thus maintain the rearward end of the tamping piece securely in place within the frame. A leaf spring 100' secured to the tray between the flanges 98 exerts pressure between the tray and tamping piece to butt the tray against rear wall 102 of the frame and hold the various componens fixed in place.

With the telescoped mounting of tubular conduit 74 within opening 72 of the housing 80, the sleever board 16 can be rotated between an operative position generally overlying the body board 14 and an inoperative position directed away from and vertically clear of the body board 14. In the inoperative position of the sleever board, the vacuum is applied to the nose piece 26 of the body board; but the vacuum is automatically shifted to the sleever board nose piece 30 when the sleever board is shifted to the operative position. To accommodate this transfer of vacuum, a valve is located between the inlet conduit 38 and the respective boards and is shifted by mechanical connection with the sleever board. The particular valve construction and linkage suitable for accommodating this purpose will now be disclosed.

It will be noted in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 that the valve 110 has the main inlet conduit 38 open to chamber 112 defined between a bearing plate 113 and an underlying manifold Wall 115. The bearing plate 113 has two openings formed therein, opening 114 being for the body board 14 and opening 116 being for the sleever board 16. A like bearing plate 118 is supported opposite bearing plate 113 and includes similarly aligned openings 114 and 116, and mounting plate 50 also has similar aligned openings 114 and 116. A slider plate 120 is `disposed between the two plates 113 and 118 and is guided in its movement therebetween by means of spaced rollers 122 which are mounted on the previously mentioned bolts 71 and on studs 123 each of which extends through the two plates and the underlying flange of manifold wall 116. The slide plate 120 similarly has two openings which are at different spacing than the openings previously mentioned, the opening 124 being intended for body board communication and opening 126 being for sleever board communication.

When the slide member 120 is in the position shown, the openings 114 and 124 align with one another to form a direct communication between the inlet conduit 38 and the opening 65 formed in the bottom wall 47 of the body board 14. In such a case, any vacuum in the conduit 38 is communicated through the valve and passageway 64 with the nose piece 26. By shifting the slidemember 120 to the other position where openings 116 and 126 are aligned, the fluid connection is made between the chamber 112 through the sleever board passageway 78 to nose piece 30. In either position where the openings 124 or 126 align, respectively, with the outer plate opening 114 0r 116, the opposite plate opening is closed to isolate that respective board from the vacuum.

The linkage 130 used to shift valve piece 120 in respouse to movement of the sleever board includes an arm 132 secured to the sleever board conduit 74 and presenting an opening 134 at its radially spaced end. Similarly, the slide member 120 has a depending tab 136 to which is pivotally connected one end of link or bar 137. The opposite free end 139 of the link 137 extends upwardly in a direction parallel to the tubular conduit 74 through circular slot 140 in the mounting plate 50 and is held in place by means of an appropriate washer and locking pin assembly 143. The opening 134 on the arm 132 cooperates with the free projected end 139' of the link and thus ties together the link and a sleever board, so that rotation of the sleever board about its supporting conduit 74 moves the slide plate 120 within the valve. The various plates 113 and 118 of the valve are biased together by means of springs 145 disposed between the flange on wall 112 and nuts 146 secured on the previously mentioned studs 71 and 123. By proper adjustment of this spring biased construction, a constant desired pressure can be maintained between the sliding plate 120 and the outer plates 113 and 118- to permit free sliding of the plate and yet provide the necessary sealing across the plates.

The conduit 38 extends downwardly from the valve through bushing 147 and into liquid separator tank 150. The tank 150 (FIGS. 4 and 9) has a vacuum line 152 communicating therewith at generally its upper contines, and condensate and waste outlet 156 is located at its bottom. A one-way check valve 158 is formed on outlet 156 by means of top hinged plate 159 to permit waste discarge from the tank when no vacuum is drawn in the tank 150 but to close and hold any liquid in the tank when vacuum is drawn in line 152. The waste is collected in an open top container or basket 160 removably supported within the pedestal 12.

Thus, application of vacuum from line 152 to the tank 150 is transmitted through the conduit 38 and the valve 110 to the appropriate sleever board or body board nose piece, as determined by the position of the valve. By means f the telescoped connection between the sleever board conduit and housing 70 and the linkage cooperation between link end 139 and the arm 132, the sleever board can be completely removed from the unit without loosening any mechanical fastening device between the components. When the unit is thus removed, the unit can be stored conveniently in an out of way place and normal spotting operation can be continued on the body board.

Another important concept incorporated in the subject unit is the blow-by or blow-down connection tube 162 which is formed as part of holder 24 for spotting gun 20. Since the hose and spotting gun conveys and discharges steam, any prolonged interruption in use of the gun would permit the related structure to cool suiciently to condensate the steam then in the hose,

etc. as well as to condensate part of any subsequent blast of steam. Consequently, this slug of water must be cleared from the gun unit before the gun is directeed towards the garment. In the particular structure shown, the nozzle 163 of the gun 20 is in vertical alignment with the tube 162 to which the holder 24 is connected when the gun is on the holder. The tube extends downwardly through an opening 164 in the pedestal 12 and discharges into the open top basket 160. It is thus possible to open the spotting gun control and discharge steam and/or air, and any slug of water that may have accumulated in the hose or gun, from the gun for discharge through the tube 162 into the basket 160.

Having thus far described the structure of the subject spotting unit 10, the controls for operating this unit will now be described. The vacuum control for drawing vacuum in the sleever or spotting board, depending on the position of the valve 110, includes the vacuum line 152 connected to a source of vacuum, and valve 170 operated by solenoid 174. The solenoid 174 is connected in an electric series circuit with switch 176 and to power lines 178 and 180. The switch 176 is operated mechanically by and disposed in the foot pedal 40. Similarly, the steam and air discharge from the spotting gun is controlled by electrically operated valves actuated by foot pedals 38 and 42. Physically, a manifold or pipe 181 is in common communication with the outlet lines for the air, steam and water, and the hose 22 connects the manifold 181 to the gun 20. A tank 182 is mounted on pedestal 12 and defines a hollow enclosure which communicates through line 184 with a steam source and line 186 for the steam return. A valve 188 is located in the steam inlet line 184, and valve 190, trap 191 and one-way check valve 192 are located in the steam return line 186. Steam lls the tank 182, and water resulting from the condensation of such steam lls the tank up to the height of the outlet connection 193 for the steam outlet line 186. To obtain wet steam discharge from the gun, water line 197 is connected at port 198 to the tank 182 at a vertical height lower than the steam return port 193 and communicates through adjustable needle valve 199, an ON-OFF control valve 200, and line 201 to the manifold 181. The Valve 200 is actuated by a solenoid 204 which is located in series connection with a switch 206 and lines 207 with the power lines 178 and 180. The switch 206 is mechanically actuated by foot pedal 38. Similarly, a steam line 208, adjustable throttle valve 209, an ON-OFF valve 210, and line 211 are connected in series between the manifold 181 and port 212 located vertically higher than steam return port 193. The valve 210 is actuated by an electric solenoid 214 connected in series with switch 216 and lines 217 to the power lines 178 and 180. It is intended that both steam switch 216 and water switch 206 be operated from the single foot pedal 38, with the steam switch 216 being closed upon a partial depression of the foot pedal to give a dry steam and with the water switch 206 being closed also upon a full depression of the foot pedal to give a wet steam formed from combined water and steam discharge into the manifold 181. Air is admitted at line 224 to a heat exchanger section 226 which is disposed in heat transfer relationship with the steam within the tank 182 and discharged at outlet line 228. The inlet line 224 includes ON-OFF valve 230', one-way check valve 232 and a lter separator 234; and adjustable needle valve 239, valve 240, and line 241 connects the outlet with the manifold 181. The valve 240 is actuated by a solenoid 244 connected in series with switch 246 and lines 247 to the power lines. The switch 246 is mechanically closed by foot pedal 42. The electric power for the unit is Controlled by switch 248 in series withvthe line 249, and light 250 in series with the switch indicates when the power is on for the unit.

Vacuum to either board is controlled by the foot pedal 40 which actuates the control switch 176 and thereby opens and closes as desire the ow control valve 170. Similarly, partially depressing foot pedal 38 closes switch 216 to open valve 210 to discharge dry steam and ful y depressing the foot pedal closes the switch 206 to open valve 200 to admit water to the manifold for mixing with the dry steam to be discharged from the spotting gun as wet steam. Air flow from the gun is controlled by depression of foot pedal 42.

It is thus appreciated that the subject spotting unit can be easily used to remove spots from a garment. By manipulation of the spotting gun the spotted area can be conditioned by wet or dry steam and dried, and the vacuum nose piece provides fast flushing of the dirt and moisture. Moreover, the flow control offered by the use of electrically operated valves that are actuated by foot pedals permits the foot pedals to be located anywhere convenient to the operator. The particular vacuum shifting valve directs vacuum from either the body or sleever board, as desired, as well as permits the complete removal of the sleever board from the unit. The spring loaded bias of the valve plates automatically accommodates for wear. Moreover, the lblow-by connection provides convenient storage for the gun as well as permits sanitary clearing of the gun.

While only a single embodiment has been disclosed, it will be apparent that many modifications can be made without departing from the real inventive concept. Accordingly, the invention should be limited only by the scape of the claims hereinafter following.

What is claimed is:

1. A spotting board unit, comprising in combination a body board and a sleever board, a fluid conveying conduit for each respective board, and a main fluid conveying conduit communicating with a source of vacunm; a vertically disposed open top tube secured relative to the body board, and said sleever board conduit being adapted to telescope cooperatively with the, tube for pivoting the sleever board between operative and inoperative positions; a valve between the conduits operable to connect the main conduit with one board conduit and to isolate the other board cond-uit, and operable to reverse this connection; linkage between said sleever board and valve for shifting the valve to communicate the main conduit with the sleever board conduit Iwhen the sleever board is in said operative position and with the body board conduit when the sleever board is in the inoperative position; and a spotting gun having an outlet nozzle, a holder secured relative to the body board Kfor removably supporting the spotting gun, an open top pipe underlying the spotting gun outlet nozzle when the latter is supported on the holder, means at the lower end of the pipe to collect liquid condensate cleared from the spotting gun, and means connecting a source of steam and air to the spotting gun.

2. A spotting board unit according to clairn 1, wherein each board includes an elongated Iframe having a botto-m wall and a side wall upstanding therefrom, and a nose piece and a tamping piece removably supported by the frame within the side wall; and wherein the nose piece includes a linely perforated top surface and an underlying load supporting perforated plate secured together as a single unit.

3. A spotting board unit according to claim 2., wherein the body board includes also a tray piece supported by the frame within the side wall; and wherein clip means on the tamping piece'cooperate with the nose piece, and clip means on the tray piece cooperate with the tamping piece to hold the tray piece, tamping piece and nose piece securely together in the frame but permit these pieces to be readily removed from the frame in the order named.

4. A spotting board unit according to claim 1, wherein the valve includes spa-ced outer plates having two sets of opposed openings each communicating with one respective board conduit and the main conduit, and an inner plate between the outer plates; wherein the inner plate is movable to alternate positions whereas in each it blocks one set of openings to isolate the one respective board conduit and connects through an opening formed therein the other set of openings for communicating the main conduit with the other respective board conduit; and wherein means resiliently bias the outer plates toward one another and against the inner plate.

5. A spotting board unit according to clairn 1, wherein the linkage includes an arm secured to and extending radially 'from the sleever board conduit and a bar connected to the valve for shifting the same; and wherein a portion of the bar extends axially of the sleever board conduit and is separably conned within an opening in the radial arm, operable. to permit the complete axial removal of the sleever board from the tube and the concurrent complete separation of the linkage arm and bar.

6. A spotting board unit according to claim y1, wherein the means connecting the source of steam and air to the spotting gun includes electrically operated valve means, and a manually operated foot pedal having electric switch means for actuating the valve means.

7. A spotting board unit, comprising in combination a body board and a sleever board, a uid conveying conduit for each respective board, and a main fluid conveying conduit communicating with a source of vacuum; a vertically disposed open top tube secured relative to the body board, and said sleever board lconduit being adapted to telescope cooperatively with the tube for pivoting the sleever board between operative and inoperative positions and for permitting the complete removal of the sleever board; a valve between the conduits operable to connect the main conduit with one board conduit and to isolate the other board conduit or operable to reverse this connection; linkage between said sleever board and valve for shifting the valve to communicate the main conduit 'with the sleever board cond-uit when the sleever board is in said operative position and with the body board conduit when the sleever board is in inoperative position, and the linkage including telescoping elements separable in a direction axially of the tube operable to be engaged concurrently with the sleever board being telescoped with the tube and being separated concurrently with the complete removal of the sleever board; and a spotting gun having an outlet nozzle, and means connecting a source of steam and air to the spotting gun.

8. In a spotting board unit having an open top tube and a valve disposed between the tube and source of vacuum, the combination of a sleever board including an elongated frame having a bottom Wall and side walls upstanding therefrom, a nose piece and tamping piece removably supported by the frame within the side walis; a conduit for the board secured to the bottom wall thereof and being operable to be in removably telescoped relation with said open top tube and to be rotatable relative to the tube; means within said frame defining a passageway between the conduit and the nose piece; and linkage between the board and the valve operable to shift the valve responsive to rotational movement of the board, the linkage including an arm projecting radially from the conduit and having an opening spaced from the conduit, and a bar connected to the valve and having a free end extended axially of the conduit and being separably conned within said arm opening, operable to permit concurrent axial removal of the sleever board from the tube and separation of the arm and bar'.

9. A spotting board unit according to claim 8, wherein said nose piece includes a finely perforated top surface and an underlying, perforated plate united as a single unit.

10. For use in a spotting board unit, the combination of an elongated frame including a bottom wall, side and longitudinally spaced iirst and second transverse walls upstanding from the botom wall, and first and second top walls extending from corresponding transverse walls in spaced relation to the bottem wall; a perforated nose piece, a tamping piece, and a tray supported by the frame within the side Wall, said nose piece being disposed adjacent the tirst transverse wall, said tamping piece being disposed adjacent the rst and second transverse walls, and said tray being disposed adjacent the second transverse wall; clip means on the tamping piece adapted to cooperate with said first top wall and said nose piece, and clip means on the tray adapted to cooperate with the second top wall and the tamping piece so that the tray, tamping piece and nose piece are secured wihin the frame but can be removed therefrom in the order named; and a conduit for the board and passageway means between the conduit and nose p1ece.

11. A spotting board according to claim 10, wherein said tray includes `a spring formed thereon adjacent the clip means, and operates to bias the tamping piece and tray apart and into snug relation against the side wall.

12. A spotting board according to claim 10, wherein the side wall at the end of the frame remote from the tray is canted inwardly from the normal to the bottom wall, and the nose piece is canted in the opposite manner to fit iiush eagainst and be trapped by the side wall.

13. For use in a spotting board unit having vertically spaced body and sleever boards, and a main conduit connected to a source of fluid, the combination of a valve for separately connecting, respectively, the main conduit with each board, the valve including spaced outer plates having two sets of opposed openings each communicating with one respective board and the main conduit, an inner plate disposed between the outer plates, rollers rotatably mounted between the outer plates and engaging the inner plate for guiding it between alternate positions whereat in each it blocks one set of openings and connects through an opening therein the other set of openings for communicating the main conduit with one respective board, and springs biasing the outer plates against the inner plate operable to compensate for wear between the plates and yet provide a freely slidable inner plate adequately sealed relative to the outer plates.

14. A spotting board unit according to claim 13, wherein ya vertically aligned open top tube is secured relative to the body board and a conduit is secured to the sleever board, the tube and sleever board conduit being in separable telescoped relation to permit rotation of the sleever board to operative and inoperative positions, and wherein linkage between said sleever board and inner plate shifts the inner plate as the sleever board is rotated between its operative and inoperative positions.

15. A spotting board unit according to claim 14, wherein the linkage including a radial arm secured to the sleever board conduit and `a link secured at one one to the valve plate, the opposite end of the link being separably confined laterally by the arm to permit the complete removal of the sleever board from the tube.

16. A spotting board unit, comprising in combination, a body board having a perforated nose piece, means communicating the nose piece with a source of vacuum, a

spotting gun having an outlet nozzle, a holder secured relative to the body board for removably supporting the spotting gun, an open ended pipe having its open top underlying the yspotting gun outlet nozzle when the latter is supported on the holder, an open top container supported under the lower end of the pipe to collect liquid condensate and other fluid cleared from the spotting gun incidental to the initial operation thereof, said container being readily removable from the unit for emptying same, and flexible means communicating the spotting gun with sources of steam and air.

17. In a spotting board unit having a spotting gun and a source of steam, the combination of a tank, means connecting the source of steam with the tank, a steam return connection from the tank disposed vertically higher than the bottom of the tank, a water line between a connection from the tank at a location vertically lower than the steam return connection and the spotting gun and including a valve in series therewith, a steam line between a connection from the tank at a location vertically higher than the steam return connection and the spotting gun and including a valve in series therewith, a single foot pedal having sequentially actuated rst and second control elements including a first actuated control element connected in a series power circuit with the steam line valve and a second control element connected in a series power circuit with the water line valve, and ilexible connecting means between the control elements of the foot pedal and the respective Water line and steam line valves operable to permit the foot pedal to be located remotely from the unit and at easily adjusted positions relative thereto, whereby partial depression of the foot pedal actuates the rst control element to open the steam line valve and further depression of the foot pedal additionally actuates the second control element to open the water line valve.

18. The combination according to claim 17, wherein means connect a source of air and the spotting gun and include `an air line, a heat exchanger disposed in the tank and in series with the air line, a solenoid valve in series with the air line, an air line switch connected in a series power circuit with the air line solenoid valve, and a foot pedal operable to open and close the air line switch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,118,546 11/1914 Goodwin.

2,331,673 10/1943 Fay.

2,530,038 11/ 1950 Wylie 68-240 2,657,566 11/ 1953 Richterkessing 68-240 2,707,874 5 195 5 Glover 68-240 XR 3,400,725 9/ 1968 Miller et al 134-123 XR ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

